Senior Business Officer (Chief Executive)

Luton Borough Council; Luton; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Luton is looking for an experienced Senior Business Officer to provide high-level administrative and project support to senior leaders. This pivotal role requires extensive public sector experience, strong organisational and interpersonal skills, with a focus on improving operational excellence and supporting the democratic process. Candidates should demonstrate a high level of tact and confidentiality, alongside proficiency in IT. The position offers a competitive salary and numerous employee benefits.

Benefits

25 to 32 days’ annual leave

Buying annual leave scheme

Career pathways

Pension scheme

Generous relocation package

Employee Assistance Programme

Flexible working options

Unlimited access to development courses

Staff offers

Arriva Travel Club

Qualifications

• Significant experience providing senior-level PA or business support.
• Demonstrable experience coordinating multi-agency or cross-departmental projects.
• Strong interpersonal skills for engagement with stakeholders.
• High standards of tact, confidentiality, and diplomacy.
• Excellent IT skills in word processing and spreadsheets.
• Strong organizational skills for managing competing priorities.
• Experience mentoring or supervising junior colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality PA and business support to senior leaders.
• Contribute to and coordinate cross-departmental project work.
• Organise and support meetings and events.
• Prepare accurate correspondence and reports.
• Manage varied workload effectively, meeting deadlines.
• Mentor and support junior colleagues.
• Uphold the Council's commitment to equality.
• Support democratic processes and local government operations.

Skills

Public sector experience

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

IT proficiency

Mentoring

Education

RSA III Typing or equivalent

Job description

About The Job

Salary: £36,363 - £39,152 a year
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Permanent

Are you an experienced and highly organized professional looking for a role where your work truly makes a difference? Luton Council is seeking a Senior Business Officer to provide exceptional administrative, organizational and project support to the Chief Executive, Service Director, and Elected Members. This is a pivotal position at the heart of the Council, supporting strategic decision-making and ensuring the smooth running of high-level operations.

About The Role

• Deliver high-quality PA and business support to senior leaders, using your extensive experience within the public sector.
• Contribute to and coordinate cross-departmental project work, helping drive forward key corporate priorities.
• Organise and support meetings and events involving internal colleagues, external partners and dignitaries.
• Prepare clear, accurate and professionally written correspondence, reports and documentation.
• Manage a varied workload effectively, ensuring deadlines are met and priority matters progress smoothly.
• Mentor and support junior colleagues, helping build capability across the team.
• Uphold the Council’s commitment to equality by identifying and addressing issues of discrimination in service delivery and within the workplace.
• Support the democratic process, drawing on your understanding of local government operations.
• Attend occasional evening or weekend engagements on behalf of the Chief Executive’s Office.

Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.

About You

• Significant experience providing senior-level PA or business support in a public sector environment.
• Demonstrable experience coordinating multi-agency or cross-departmental projects.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage confidently, courteously and assertively with a broad range of stakeholders.
• High standards of tact, diplomacy and confidentiality.
• Excellent IT skills, including proficiency in word processing, spreadsheets, email and internet applications.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to plan ahead, manage competing priorities and respond to changing demands.
• Experience mentoring or supervising junior colleagues.
• RSA III Typing or equivalent Word Processing qualification — or equivalent relevant experience.

Why Luton?

At Luton Council, we are proud of our ambitious vision for the town and committed to improving the lives of our residents. Joining us means becoming part of a diverse, supportive and forward-thinking organisation where your contribution will be truly valued.

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.

The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?

We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough.

Application Process

On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.

Benefits

• From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
• Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
• Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
• Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
• Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
• Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
• Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
• Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
• Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
• Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel

How To Apply

We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out! Our ‘How to apply' page has more tips to help with your application: How to apply